‘Pixels’ Trailer: It’s On Like Donkey Kong

Lately there haven't been many video game movies that have been very good. There also haven't been many Adam Sandler movies that have been very good. So, how about this Adam Sandler video game movie?... Wait, where are you going?! Pixels is not your standard Adam Sandler or video game movie and, based on this trailer, you might want to give it a chance.

We can easily say that we'd never want a Pac-Man movie or a Donkey Kong movie, but Pixels is a clever way of using those characters in a big-budget movie without it really being about them. Based on a short film, this movie follows the destruction that happens when 80s video games come alive to attack Earth. If that's not unbelievable enough for you, Kevin James plays the President of the United States.

Yet, despite all these things that should make the film look unbearable, this new trailer doesn't look horrible. They're obviously going for a Ghostbusters vibe (Sandler teams up with three other guys, they wear jumpsuits and carry blasters to stop the invading characters) and while we're not quite ready to give it that level of quality yet, it's certainly a change of pace from the usual Sandler fare. And, c'mon, Peter Dinklage as an 80s video game champion with a mullet? Sure, we'll watch this.

One interesting thing of note happens at 1:38 in the trailer when the following image flashes on the screen for a split second:

The site leads to a link to download a game called Dojo Quest starring a character called Lady Lisa, who appears in the movie played by Ashley Benson (and is the object of obsession of Josh Gad's character).

When aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper has to call on his childhood best friend, ‘80s video game champion Sam Brenner, now a home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders to defeat the aliens and save the planet.